Apparatus for treatment of steel ingots



STEEL INGoTs J V. ELLIS APPARATUS FOR '1" Jan, 24, 1928.

patented Jan. 24, 1928.

UNITED y resisto PATENT orifice.;

JAMES VALENTINE ELIS, OF`IJONIDTQiy ENGLAND.'

`Arran-@BUS FOR TREATMENT or s'rlaEL rNGo'rs.

Application fried April 12, 152s, sei-iai valoras?, andan Great einem March 1s, ieee.

This invention has reference to an iin'- proved apparatus fortlic elimii'iiition pip'A ing and segregates from steel ing-ot y v lin the production of steel ingot's' it isv well 5 .known that in the cooling; process the outside walls first solidify and. fpriir an envelope enclosing metal` not yet solidified and in the central part of the ingot a shrinkage cavity or pipe is formed by segregated gases, the

1U walls of the pipe being covered with segregated impurities and impure metal and the upper ends of the finished ingots are finally cropped oft in order to remove these impurities.

The amount of waste resulting in lthis cropping operation is considerable and the object of the present invention is to reduce this waste and to produce sound ingots in which the metal is consolidated throughout by side pressure on the ingot at the right period of the coo-ling operation so applied as to force the dross out of the body of the ingot so that the only cropping required is the removal of a mass containing the dross 23 which is or can be caused by the said pressure to project from the top of the ingot.

According to the present invention the steel ingot prior to its core having solidified (which time is governed by the composition of the steel and the cross sectional area of the ingot) is placed in an appropriate container one or more sides of which is or are open to permit of a pressure plate or plates, iarried by a suitable lever or levers actuated as by a hydraulic cylinder or cylinders, being so moved inwardly or towards the ingot as to press upon a surface or surfaces of the ingot to any required degree and over anarea of any desired depth and width in such a way as to force the liquid steel still remaining in thc core and which liquid contains the segregates, into the cavity which has already formed in the top of the ingot. If required the pressure can be maintained until the top surface cracks and the segregates are expelled thereby leaving a much greater weight of solid steel free frompiping and segre gates available for use. y

It will be understood that any suitable mechanism may be employed for exerting the desired pressurein the manner above stated.

The accompanying illustrative drawing shows in longitudinal sectional elevation one example of apparatus suitable for exerting fl U -of the top of an ingot 3 resting in said carrier. Intermediate of its ends each lever 7 is tted with a removable pressure plate l0 adapted to press on the corresponding side of the ingot when the levers 7 are moved about their pivots S towards the ingot by outward movement of the rams l of the hy* draulic cylinders l.

After the desired squeezing pressure has been applied to the ingot the rams fl are moved inwardly to bring the levers 7 into the dotted position indicated in order to release the pressure plates l() from the ingot and the ingot is pushed up out of its carrier 2 by means of a pusher rod ll, extending through a central hole formed in the base of the carrier 2, operated by a hydraulicrcylinder l2 located vertically below the carrier.

It will be understood that the sides of the ingot not subjected to the action of the pressure plates are supl'iorted` by the side cheeks 9 of the supporting framework and if such side cheeks are arranged to receive between them ingots of greater cross section at thc upper end than at the lower it is a simple matter to adapt the apparatus for treating ing/ots the top of which is narrower than the base by inserting wedge pieces of the required shape between the said side cheeks and the ingots,

As before stated, the construction of apparatus employed for carrying out the improved method of treating steel ingots may vary considerably without departure from the invention, and while it is preferred to employ the rams of hydraulic cylinders for exerting pressure through lever mechanism, the invention is not restricted to such an arrangement. An advantage of a lever arrangement such as described is that in the pressing operation the pressure plates can first make contact at their lower ends with the ingotand gradually squeeze the ingot lit lll() in an upward direction thereby ensuring that the segregates are forced upwerdly out of the body: of the ingot.

'What I claim is 1. An ingot press, comprising e support for the ingot, a pressure yIneiriber `forbeariiig on one side of the ingot," al piyoted lever provided with e pressure `member for bear-` ing on tIieotlier side of the iiigot, said iever having also" :rlaterally"projecting pin on` its free end portion, and means for ope'uting the Said lever connected with it :it e greater distance from its `pivot than its pressure member, said moons being provided jwitli a slot which engages with thesaid pin. p p p 2, An iiigot press, comprising zi support :tor tbe ingot provided with cheeks :torpositioiiiiig the ingot, a pressure member for bearing on oneside of the iiigot, zi lever pivoted to the seid cheeks` and provided with ai `pressure member for beeriiig on the other side of the ingot, :1nd ineens for operating the said ievcreoniieeted witli it :it :1 greater `distance""ronir its pivot than its pressi-ure member. p p

3. An wget-press, comprising :i Support for `the ingot having cheeks for positioning the ingot, pii'oted levers having their upper 

